Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to encourage a low cost or other operator to fly from Amsterdam to Inverness.

Sarah Boyack: In conjunction with airlines it is for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), along with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and local stakeholders, to assess the potential for a direct air link from Amsterdam to Inverness. HIAL has had discussions with low cost and other carriers, and the HIE network is also in discussion with an operator, about such an air link.

BSE

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was first informed on 12 January 2001 that the kidneys of a calf whose mother was infected with BSE may have passed into the human food chain and, if not, when it was first informed.

Susan Deacon: Officials from the Food Standards Agency notified Scottish ministers on 12 January that offal from the offspring animal may have passed into the food chain.

Beef

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been consulted by the European Commission in connection with plans to cut beef production.

Ross Finnie: The Commission’s plans could have a far-reaching impact on the Scottish beef industry. I attended the EU Agriculture Council on 19 February to ensure that the European Commission was made aware of my views on the various proposals.

Beef

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact new European Commission proposals to cut beef production would have on Scotland if implemented, both in economic terms and more generally on rural communities.

Ross Finnie: This is a very complex set of proposals, the impact of which would be extremely difficult to quantify in a purely Scottish context. I attended the Agriculture Council on 19 February to ensure that those elements of the package which might most adversely affect Scotland were resisted vigorously.

Beef

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has made or will make to the European Commission’s proposals to cut beef production.

Ross Finnie: At the EU Agriculture Council on 19 February, I joined UK Agriculture Ministers in pressing for Europe’s current beef over-supply to be tackled effectively but in a way which would not adversely affect those producing quality beef using extensive systems.

Beef

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place and on what dates between its Rural Affairs Department (SERAD) and the European Commission on the Commission’s proposals for changes to the suckler cow and beef special premium schemes; when SERAD first became aware of any of these proposals, and whether it has opposed the introduction of any of them.

Ross Finnie: The Commission Proposals to the Council of Europe were published on 13 February. An official from the Scottish Executive was present when they were discussed at the Council’s Special Committee of Agriculture on 26 February and 12 March. I attended the Agriculture Council on 19 February and an official attended a Council Working Group on Wednesday 28 February. On each occasion, our strong opposition was expressed to elements of the proposals that could adversely affect Scotland’s beef industry.

Beef

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to represent farming interests at future meetings of the Agriculture Council and the Council of Ministers and, if so, on what dates it will attend meetings and what position it will take in respect of the proposals for changes to the suckler cow and beef special premium schemes and their effect on the farming industry.

Ross Finnie: I attended the Agriculture Council on 19 February where I made clear my opposition to the proposals that affected the suckler cow and beef special premium schemes. You can be assured that there will be a Scottish Executive presence at any forthcoming meetings when proposals that affect the Scottish beef industry are discussed.

Cancer

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether trials of the new combination drug to treat mesothelioma which are currently taking place in Newcastle will be extended to Scotland.

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being carried out into mesothelioma.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department is aware of 25 current studies into mesothelioma in the UK, none of which take place in Newcastle. Details of these are available from the National Research Register, a copy of which is in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  A small scale Phase 1 clinical trial, was conducted recently in Newcastle General Hospital, where patients were given a combination of two drugs known as Carboplatin and MTA. CSO has no information as to whether there are plans to extend the trial nor whether any such extension would involve recruitment of patients from Scotland.

  The results of research into mesothelioma undertaken throughout the UK will inform the future direction of research and treatment in this area.

Cancer

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current waiting times are for all forms of cancer and what the equivalent figures were for each of the last 10 years, broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: Treatment for cancer can take place in either an out-patient or in-patient setting. Information is not held centrally on waiting times for treatment which starts in an out-patient setting.

  Information on the time between a patient being placed on in-patient and day case waiting lists for cancer treatment and their admission to hospital is available centrally. The median waiting time for in-patient and day case cancer treatment, by health board area of residence, for the last 10 years, is given in the table. These data do not include radiotherapy treatment, which is normally provided on an out-patient basis.

  The Scottish Cancer Group is preparing a cancer plan for Scotland, which will be published by March 2001. The plan will include national targets for maximum waiting times.

  NHSScotland: Median Waiting Times for Hospital Admission for Treatment of Cancer, by Health Board Area of Residence.

  


Health Board 
  

1990* 
  

1991* 
  

1992* 
  

1993* 
  

1994* 
  


 

Median Wait
(Days) 
  

Median Wait
(Days) 
  

Median Wait (Days) 
  

Median Wait
(Days) 
  

Median Wait
(Days) 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

14 
  

13 
  

13 
  

13 
  

13 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

12 
  

12 
  

13 
  

14 
  

14 
  



Borders 
  

14 
  

15 
  

13 
  

14 
  

11 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

17 
  

17 
  

19 
  

18 
  

16 
  



Fife 
  

16 
  

15 
  

18 
  

20 
  

18 
  



Forth Valley 
  

19 
  

23 
  

22 
  

20 
  

19 
  



Grampian 
  

19 
  

16 
  

13 
  

14 
  

16 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

15 
  

17 
  

19 
  

14 
  

14 
  



Highland 
  

15 
  

14 
  

15 
  

14 
  

12 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

14 
  

14 
  

16 
  

14 
  

14 
  



Lothian 
  

16 
  

15 
  

18 
  

19 
  

19 
  



Orkney 
  

14 
  

10 
  

8 
  

10 
  

10 
  



Shetland 
  

15 
  

14 
  

14 
  

18 
  

13 
  



Tayside 
  

21 
  

21 
  

25 
  

23 
  

23 
  



Western Isles 
  

16 
  

10 
  

8 
  

9 
  

10 
  



Scotland 
  

16 
  

16 
  

17 
  

16 
  

15 
  



  


Health Board 
  

1995* 
  

1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000P



 

Median Wait
(Days) 
  

Median Wait
(Days) 
  

Median Wait
(Days) 
  

Median Wait
(Days) 
  

Median Wait
(Days) 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

14 
  

9 
  

11 
  

7 
  

10 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

13 
  

10 
  

11 
  

11 
  

12 
  



Borders 
  

12 
  

12 
  

12 
  

10 
  

8 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

17 
  

13 
  

14 
  

15 
  

15 
  



Fife 
  

19 
  

12 
  

13 
  

13 
  

13 
  



Forth Valley 
  

19 
  

9 
  

11 
  

9 
  

11 
  



Grampian 
  

15 
  

8 
  

8 
  

7 
  

7 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

13 
  

10 
  

11 
  

7 
  

12 
  



Highland 
  

13 
  

7 
  

10 
  

10 
  

9 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

14 
  

9 
  

10 
  

7 
  

10 
  



Lothian 
  

20 
  

14 
  

15 
  

15 
  

15 
  



Orkney 
  

10 
  

8 
  

7 
  

8 
  

7 
  



Shetland 
  

13 
  

9 
  

11 
  

10 
  

8 
  



Tayside 
  

22 
  

15 
  

15 
  

19 
  

19 
  



Western Isles 
  

8 
  

7 
  

10 
  

9 
  

9 
  



Scotland 
  

15 
  

11 
  

12 
  

10 
  

12 
  



  * Information prior to 1996-97 is available by calendar year only.

  p Provisional.

Charities

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the findings of a recent report by the Scottish Charities Office into allegations of bullying and poor management practice at the charity Children in Scotland will be made available to the public.

Colin Boyd QC: The Scottish Charities office examined concerns about maladministration expressed by a former employee at the charity Children in Scotland. The investigation found no cause for formal regulatory action by way of proceedings before the Court of Session. The examination of the management of the charity did find a number of areas in which improvements could usefully be made to administrative practice. This is by no means unusual when the affairs of a charity are brought under scrutiny. The Charities Office is working with those in management and control of Children in Scotland to bring about these improvements designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation to the greater advantage of its beneficiaries. Good progress is being made and the Charities Office will continue to monitor these developments.

  The Charities Office did not investigate allegations of bullying. Such allegations are not a matter for that office. They are, in any event, the subject of proceedings before an Employment Tribunal.

  Investigations under the supervision of charities legislation are conducted in confidence and reports are not published.

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government that the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care being established under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Bill should be included as a prescribed regulator under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Susan Deacon: We intend to pursue this matter with the UK Government with a view to including the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care as a prescribed body under this Act. We also intend to take similar steps regarding the Scottish Social Services Council.

Conservation

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct Scottish Natural Heritage to provide MSPs and MPs with details of any areas being proposed for Special Areas of Conservation status within their constituencies.

Ross Finnie: No direction is required. When consultation begins on proposals for Special Areas of Conservation, Scottish Natural Heritage has agreed to provide MSPs and MPs with details of individual areas within their constituencies.

Diabetes

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NHSiS has adequate resources to meet any increased demand for services resulting from the expected rise in diabetes sufferers to three million by the year 2010, as highlighted in the British Medical Journal on 15 April 2000.

Susan Deacon: The Executive is committed to increasing the resources of NHS Scotland. However, it is up to each local health board to decide on the allocation of resources to meet the needs of its area.

Diabetes

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to initiate preventative measures to tackle diabetes.

Malcolm Chisholm: Type 2 diabetes, previously known as non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, usually occurs after the age of 35 years and is more common in people who are overweight. Type 2 diabetes accounts for nearly 90% of all cases of diabetes.

  Risk Factors for Type 2 diabetes include obesity (insulin resistance increases with body weight), a high-fat diet (a key cause of obesity) and a sedentary lifestyle.

  The Scottish Executive has introduced a range of initiatives to promote healthier lifestyles. These initiatives, set out in Towards a Healthier Scotland, Eating for Health and Our National Health, introduce measures such as the appointment of a National Diet Action Co-ordinator and the establishment of a Physical Activity Task Force. Such measures will help to prevent obesity and, thus, the development of Type 2 diabetes in later life.

Enterprise

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13571 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 9 March 2001, whether it will detail all activities on which it and the Defence Diversification Agency have worked and are currently working in order to encourage the widest exploitation of defence-derived technology.

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13571 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 9 March 2001, whether it will detail any areas or initiatives which have allowed Scottish businesses to lessen their dependence on the manufacturing of defence equipment and to diversify within the defence industry.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Defence Diversification Agency, in partnership with the Scottish Enterprise Network and the Scottish Executive, has so far assisted over 100 companies, both large and small, in Scotland. In accordance with the Code of Practice on access to Government information, specific details of activities cannot be made public. This is to protect the competitive position of the companies assisted.

Enterprise

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13571 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 9 March 2001, what representations it has made, or plans to make, to Her Majesty’s Government to encourage Scottish businesses, in co-operation with the Defence Diversification Agency, to diversify from defence output to civil output within the defence industry.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Ministry of Defence on a range of issues, including defence diversification. The Scottish Executive and its agencies will continue to work closely with the Defence Diversification Agency to assist companies in Scotland who wish to benefit from the defence diversification strategy of the UK Government.

Fisheries

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under the Financial Instruments for Fisheries Guidance, funding assistance is available to equip new-built fishing vessels in terms of Article 9, Section 1, Subsection C of the Official Journal of the European Communities dated 30 December 1999.

Rhona Brankin: Council Regulation (EC) 2792/1999 sets out detailed rules and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector, within which member states’ FIFG programmes are considered and generally required to operate.

  Article 9.1(c) of the Regulation includes general provisions relating to public aid for the equipping or modernising of vessels. These are subject to a number of caveats, including that measures will not jeopardise the long-term equilibrium of fishery resources. The measures included in the Scottish programmes, which have been discussed and agreed with industry, include support for the modernisation of vessels, with priority to be given to projects to improve catch handling and hygiene, quality and sustainability. Funding bids will be assessed individually on their merits.

  It is not the Executive’s policy, and therefore the programmes approved by the Commission for FIFG aid schemes in Scotland make no financial provision, to support new vessel builds.

Fisheries

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its long-term plans are for the development of the fish farming industry.

Rhona Brankin: We will continue to support the development of aquaculture, including new species, within a framework which has proper regard for the environment, and in particular the protection of wild fish. The industry is an extremely important part of the rural economy, and the Executive will work with the industry and others to ensure that fish farming maintains the highest standards of husbandry, environmental protection and quality assurance as it develops in the future.

  The Executive is already taking a variety of initiatives to achieve these ends. We intend to transfer the planning responsibility for fish farming to local authorities, to enhance transparency and local accountability. We are working together with fish farmers, wild fishery interests, councils and other stakeholders through the Tripartite Working Group, the Aquaculture Health Joint Working Group, and the Aquaculture Forum, and we have recently begun a review of aquaculture regulation. The new FIFG scheme will provide targeted financial support for new and developing aquaculture businesses throughout Scotland, with a particular emphasis on diversification into new species, the development of shellfish and environmental improvements across the industry.

Flood Prevention

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how local authorities fund preparatory work on flood prevention schemes which they submit to it for consideration and whether it has any plans to provide funding to cover the costs of such work, irrespective of the outcome of the submission.

Ross Finnie: It is for local authorities to fund the preparatory work on flood prevention schemes from the resources they have available. The single capital allocation includes provision for flood prevention measures, which may be used to cover scheme preparation costs. In the case of major flood prevention schemes additional resources may be made available by the Executive.

  The Executive has no plans to change the existing arrangements.

Food Standards

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the use by the Scottish Egg Producing Retailers Association of the lion rampant as a trademark signifying that eggs displaying that mark are Scottish eggs produced in Scotland.

Ross Finnie: The application to register the mark is currently with the UK Patent Office. This is a reserved matter and it will be for the Patent Office to determine if the lion rampant would be an acceptable trademark.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it has done and is doing to ensure adequate provision of disinfectant to farmers and local authorities in order to help to contain the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Dumfries and Galloway.

Ross Finnie: Initially concerns were expressed about the availability of approved disinfectants in some parts of Scotland. This prompted suppliers to publicise the availability of particular products and to inform the Scottish Executive. My officials have liaised very closely with the National Farmers Union of Scotland, who have disseminated information about local availability to their members. Similar information is also contained on the Scottish Executive website and is updated regularly.

  I am not aware of any shortage of disinfectant in Dumfries and Galloway, but should that occur, my officials stand ready to help resolve matters.

Football

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the proposed football academies which it intends will be funded from (a)  sportscotland lottery funding and (b) other sources, will be outside Glasgow; where the academies will be, and how much funding each will receive.

Allan Wilson: The programme is application based so it is not possible to give a precise answer to this question. The funding currently available would allow eight academy projects to be supported from the Lottery Sports Fund if each received the maximum award of £500,000. Under the proposals endorsed by the Scottish Football Partnership, academies will be geographically spread across Scotland. Several clubs outwith Glasgow have made public announcements about their intention to develop an academy.

Forestry

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much timber was produced by Ae Forest District in the year 2000.

Rhona Brankin: About 230,000 cubic metres of timber were harvested from Ae Forest District last year.

Forestry

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many visitors there were in the year 2000 to the forests in Ae Forest District.

Rhona Brankin: There were over 300,000 visitors to Ae Forest District last year.

Forestry

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, regarding the timber used in the recent refurbishment of the Forestry Commission (Scotland) Headquarters at Corstorphine in Edinburgh, how much timber and of what type was from (a) environmentally sustainable sources and (b) other sources, and how the environmental sustainability of any timber used was assured.

Rhona Brankin: The refurbishment of the Forestry Commission’s headquarters will not be completed until next year. Timber suppliers will be required to provide information (such as origin and certification) to demonstrate that the timber comes from legal and sustainably managed sources, in line with the guidance on timber procurement contained in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions’ Green Guide for Buyers .

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that drugs of "limited value" and "little therapeutic value" according to the British National Formulary are not prescribed in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-13966 on 21 March 2001.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why the drug Co-codamol is being prescribed on the NHS at a cost of £6.4 million when it has been classified as a drug of "limited value" in the British National Formulary.

Susan Deacon: Co-codamol is a drug that is considered by the Joint Formulary Committee, under whose authority the British National Formulary is published, as "less suitable for prescribing". Although preparations labelled in this way may not be considered as drugs of first choice, their use may be justifiable in certain clinical circumstances. The decision whether or not to prescribe a particular treatment for a patient is a matter for the clinical judgement of the patient’s responsible medical practitioner.

  For further information on action which is taken to tackle excess prescribing of drugs, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-13966 on 21 March.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether generic prescribing is ever used in order to ensure the most effective and efficient treatment.

Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10675 on 9 November 2000.

Hospitals

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many neurology beds are currently available and how many were available for each of the last 10 years, broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: The numbers of average available staffed beds for neuroscience specialties, by health board of treatment, for the years 1990-2000, are given in the table.

  NHS in Scotland: Average Available Staffed Beds1 For Neurosciences: By Health Board Of Treatment. Years Ending 31 March 1990 To 31 March 2000.

  





1990 
  

1991 
  

1992 
  

1993 
  

1994 
  

1995 
  

1996 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



Scotland


375


339


314


314


310


303


278


270


271


266


257




Neurology 
  

135 
  

100 
  

95 
  

98 
  

96 
  

97 
  

85 
  

84 
  

83 
  

79 
  

72 
  



Neurosurgery 
  

240 
  

239 
  

219 
  

216 
  

214 
  

206 
  

193 
  

186 
  

188 
  

187 
  

185 
  



Grampian


40


40


40


40


40


40


39


37


37


38


37




Neurology 
  

10 
  

10 
  

10 
  

10 
  

10 
  

10 
  

10 
  

9 
  

9 
  

10 
  

10 
  



Neurosurgery 
  

30 
  

30 
  

30 
  

30 
  

30 
  

30 
  

29 
  

28 
  

28 
  

28 
  

27 
  



Greater Glasgow


146


146


138


142


139


136


125


122


122


124


118




Neurology 
  

50 
  

49 
  

45 
  

49 
  

47 
  

47 
  

36 
  

36 
  

35 
  

35 
  

29 
  



Neurosurgery 
  

96 
  

97 
  

93 
  

93 
  

92 
  

89 
  

89 
  

86 
  

87 
  

89 
  

89 
  



Lothian


145


110


93


89


89


84


71


71


71


66


67




Neurology 
  

58 
  

25 
  

24 
  

23 
  

24 
  

23 
  

23 
  

23 
  

22 
  

20 
  

20 
  



Neurosurgery 
  

87 
  

85 
  

69 
  

66 
  

66 
  

60 
  

48 
  

48 
  

48 
  

46 
  

47 
  



Tayside


43


43


43


43


42


43


42


40


40


39


35




Neurology 
  

16 
  

16 
  

16 
  

16 
  

15 
  

16 
  

16 
  

16 
  

16 
  

15 
  

13 
  



Neurosurgery 
  

27 
  

27 
  

27 
  

27 
  

27 
  

27 
  

26 
  

24 
  

24 
  

23 
  

22 
  



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Excludes beds in joint-user and contractual hospitals and the Royal Hospitals for Sick Children in Grampian, Lothian and Greater Glasgow.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the time period is for the refurbishment of all transferred council housing in Glasgow should the tenants vote for stock transfer.

Ms Margaret Curran: The proposed time period for the refurbishment will be set out in the business plan to be produced by the Glasgow Housing Association. That business plan is currently being prepared.

Human Rights

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to launch its consultation document on whether a Human Rights Commission should be established in Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: The document, Protecting our Rights. A Human Rights Commission for Scotland? Consultation Document , is being launched today. The consultation period lasts until the end of June. Copies are being distributed widely and can be obtained from the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Joint Ministerial Committees

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Joint Ministerial Committee meetings regarding European Union issues have been held since 1 July 1999.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Joint Ministerial Committee on Europe met for the first time on 1 March 2001.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any proposals to provide mental health in-patient services for children.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive over the past two years in particular has been working with health boards and others on the planning and re-structuring of mental health in-patient services for children and adolescents.

  In terms of recent change, the children’s in-patient unit and services at Glasgow Yorkhill hospital have expanded and the hospital is now the main national centre for in-patient child psychiatry with the in-patient unit in Tayside mainly serving Fife and the North East of Scotland.

  Overall the number of children requiring hospital admission is small and the current provision, which has been the subject of a detailed needs assessment, is likely to meet anticipated demand. The position will, however, be kept under on-going review.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being considered to provide a mental health unit for adolescent forensic provision.

Malcolm Chisholm: Currently, there is no forensic mental health unit for adolescents in Scotland. The very small number of adolescents who require such care are referred to one of two adolescent forensic units in Newcastle or Manchester. These units receive referrals from across the United Kingdom.

  A Scottish Needs Assessment Programme assessment of child and adolescent mental health services will report later this year.

NHS Expenditure

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of total UK spending on the NHS spending on the NHSiS represented or is expected to represent in each year from 1994-95 to 2003-04 inclusive.

Susan Deacon: On a cash basis, health expenditure as a percentage of the total health expenditure is as follows:

  

 

Expenditure at 1999-2000 prices
£000 
  

Scotland as percentage of UK expenditure 
  

Funding per head3
(£) 
  






Scotland 
  

UK 
  




Scotland 
  



1994-95 outturn 
  

4,539 
  

43,419 
  

10.5 
  

796 
  



1995-96 outturn 
  

4,573 
  

44,101 
  

10.4 
  

797 
  



1996-97 outturn 
  

4,587 
  

44,146 
  

10.4 
  

826 
  



1997-98 outturn 
  

4,584 
  

44,942 
  

10.2 
  

850 
  



1998-99 outturn 
  

4,697 
  

46,129 
  

10.2 
  

896 
  



1999-2000 estimated outturn1


4,941 
  

49,251 
  

10.0 
  

966 
  



2000-01 original plans2


5,309 
  

53,138 
  

10.0 
  

1,060 
  



2001-02 plans 
  

5,569 
  

56,130 
  

9.9 
  

1,140 
  



2002-03 plans 
  

5,824 
  

59,222 
  

9.8 
  

1,222 
  



2003-04 plans 
  

6,094 
  

62,557 
  

9.7 
  

1,311 
  



  Notes:

  1. Final UK outturn figures are not yet available.

  2. This figure does not take account of in-year changes.

  3. In 1999 Scotland’s population was 8.64% of the UK population.

  Last year’s spending review, gave the Scottish health budget the same increase per head of population as England, slightly higher than that for the UK as a whole. This translates into a smaller percentage increase since the starting baseline is significantly higher in Scotland than the rest of the UK.

NHS Expenditure

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that increased NHS expenditure will result in improved outcomes which benefit patient health.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive’s Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change , sets out a comprehensive series of actions to help ensure that our record investment in health achieves our aims of improving the health of people living in Scotland and of providing high-quality health care services.

  The Health Plan also sets out our plans for promoting challenging and consistent national service standards for the NHS, improved and integrated NHS planning and decision making, and increased local and national accountability across NHSScotland.

Nursing

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS nursing vacancies there currently are in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: The latest information available centrally is shown in the table.

  


Nursing and Midwifery staff vacancies1 by Health 
  Board Area
Whole Time Equivalent: at 31 March 2000 
  






Total Vacancies3


Vacant 3 months or more 
  



Scotland 
  

874.1 
  

383.2 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

90.4 
  

45.4 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

35.4 
  

- 
  



Borders2


9.5 
  

6.0 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

2.8 
  

- 
  



Fife2


58.5 
  

1.3 
  



Forth Valley 
  

18.3 
  

- 
  



Grampian 
  

125.2 
  

36.9 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

207.4 
  

91.0 
  



Highland 
  

32.0 
  

2.0 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

75.7 
  

48.1 
  



Lothian 
  

165.6 
  

127.6 
  



Orkney 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Shetland 
  

16.4 
  

5.4 
  



Tayside 
  

9.9 
  

4.5 
  



Western Isles 
  

14.7 
  

9.7 
  



Blood Transfusion Service 
  

5.3 
  

5.3 
  



State Hospital 
  

7.0 
  

- 
  



  Source: ISD (M) 36, ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Excludes nurses in training and students on "1992" courses.

  2. Indicates a board where a Trust failed to return a survey.

  3. ISD Scotland conducts an annual vacancy survey for nursing and midwifery vacancies for three months or more. Vacancies under three months or more are more likely to be what is expected in normal turnover of staff and the process followed to advertise and recruit. They do not necessarily indicate any shortages of staff groups. The vacancy figures relate to vacant posts at 31 March, irrespective of when the vacancy arose.

Post Offices

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government regarding the implications for rural communities of any impact which the proposed changes to EC Directive 97/67/EC on the common rules for the development of the internal market for postal services will have on the economic viability and future role and functions of post offices in remote and rural areas, particularly in the Highlands and Islands.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including moves to promote liberalisation of European postal markets. The Executive is committed to the maintenance of the universal service throughout Scotland at an uniform tariff and recognises the importance of the availability of postal services in rural areas. The Executive welcomed the UK Government’s announcement last year that the current size of the rural Post Office network will be maintained until 2006 except where closures are unavoidable.

Road Accidents

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Crown Office Quality and Practice Review of Road Traffic Deaths will be published.

Colin Boyd QC: A summary of the findings and recommendations will be published before the end of April.

Scottish Executive Travel

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many flights between (a) Edinburgh and London and (b) Glasgow and London were taken by (i) ministers and (ii) staff of the Scottish Office and the Scottish Executive since 1997 and how many of those flights were made using budget or low-cost airlines.

Angus MacKay: The number of flights by ministers and officials in the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2000 which were arranged through the business travel agent were (a) 9,935 between Edinburgh and London and (b) 1,287 between Glasgow and London. These flights are recorded in the system operated by the business travel agent and were with selected carriers at preferred government rates negotiated in conjunction with UK government departments.

  Budget or low cost airlines do not accept bookings through the business travel agent’s system and comparable information on total numbers of flights is not available.

  Flight information is available from the business travel agent’s system which records each flight by the named traveller. A name search to collate and differentiate between flights by ministers and staff could be completed only at disproportionate cost.

Skye Bridge

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive,  further to the answer to question S1W-10932 by Sarah Boyack on 29 November 2000, whether it will provide an estimate of the cost of terminating the Skye Bridge contract.

Sarah Boyack: No. It is not the Executive’s policy to terminate the contract.